From Lisa Barnes

Every year my children’s preschool puts up a sign-up sheet for the annual “feast” in each classroom.  When we started the school my son was 3 years old and the feast was a traditional Thanksgiving feast - turkey and all the trimmings. I was in charge of bread and I made breadsticks. Last year the teachers let the students in my (then 4 year old) son’s class choose what they wanted to eat for their feast. The kids picked pizza and I was horrified. It wasn’t homemade pizza either. How could a thanksgiving feast be pizza delivery? The pilgrims and Native Americans didn’t have take-out. I gave up on the “feast” and brought a fruit salad - whether they wanted it or not.

‘Tis the season for the feast again and I saw the sign-up on my son’s class door. Instead of turkey with the trimmings or pizza, it read “chicken nuggets”, “macaroni and cheese”, “pigs in a blanket” and “ice cream sundaes”. I could feel my blood boil as some of the kids saw me looking at the sheet and said “we picked it all out ourselves!” I can’t believe I was thinking the year before’s pizza wasn’t so bad. The only saving grace was that my son wasn’t at school the day they voted. So I could think he didn’t want those processed foods.  I wasn’t going to sign-up for those on the sheet. Yes, I’m a rogue pot luck participant at times. I brought organic lemonade and mini organic green apples.

Happily my daughter’s 2-year-old class didn’t have a say in the feast - it would be traditional. I was very excited and even volunteered to coordinate. I got the sign-up sheet ready with a column for turkey, potatoes, veggies, bread, cranberry, etc… and I was told “most of the food gets thrown away every year so we just do something small”. The suggestion was sandwiches and fruit salad, with a mention that many kids weren’t going to be there or parents would pack lunch since they might not like the feast foods. It already sounded like a defeat. I said forget the sign up sheet and I would do the feast food myself. (I didn’t control it all, as other parents did tableware, napkins, decorations and crafts.)  I felt like I had to redeem the “traditional” food and get the kids to eat and like it. Here was my simple menu, which I suggest for any type of preschooler gathering for the holidays or otherwise.

Mini Turkey and Cheddar Sandwiches - this was whole wheat bread with the crusts cut off and cut into triangles. I could have also used shape cookie cutters. The bread was spread with butter only. I also made cranberry sauce to spread on sandwiches, but that never happened (thought the teachers may not like the mess of cranberry by the 2-year-old crowd).

*Note: When cutting out or trimming sandwiches, I always save the left-over pieces in the freezer. They come in handy for making breadcrumbs and feeding ducks.

Petit Crudité Platter - steamed carrots and grean beans and cherry tomatoes with hummus for dipping.

Fruit Salad - a variation of the minty fruit salad (without the mint) and adding grapes. Everything cut to bite-size for a 2-year-old.

Gingerbread - this is my new holiday favorite, and great for gatherings because it’s nut free (see recipe below).

So it wasn’t a traditional feast like the pilgrims. I did the menu as suggested and I had a good time with the 2-year-olds as they ate and some even asked for more, especially my own daughter. She’s pictured above with her plate of seconds. I went in a bit late to pick up my son from his processed food feast (I was hoping not to see it). They were just finishing their ice cream and here’s a picture of my son showing off his.
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Organic Gingerbread (from the upcoming Petit Appetit: Eat, Drink and Be Merry cookbook)

The smell of gingerbread in a house full of decorations means the season is in full swing. This is a simple make-ahead recipe that will feed a crowd of tree trimmers or New Year’s guests during the holidays. Besides being delicious, this is a good way to get iron into some children’s diets with the addition of molasses.

Makes 16 servings

1½ cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup mild or light molasses
¼ cup expeller-pressed canola oil
1 large cage-free organic egg
½ cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour an 8-inch-square glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder and baking soda. Add the molasses, oil, egg, and water and beat on low speed until combined. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch squares. Serve warm with freshly whipped cream or pumpkin butter.

Gift Green! Why not double the recipe and give to neighbors and friends packaged in pretty recycled tins or a glass plate? Children will love helping with wrap and special delivery.
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See also Lisa’s Easy, Creative Organic Dips For Kids Recipes
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Lisa Barnes is author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler, Williams-Sonoma: Cooking For Baby, and lives in Sausalito, California.
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